Shikarpur (Web Desk): At least four passengers were injured on Tuesday when a remote-controlled bomb exploded near Sultan Kot village in Sindh’s Shikarpur district, derailing four compartments of the Jaffar Express, police said.
Rescue workers and law enforcement personnel promptly arrived at the blast site, transferring the injured to a nearby hospital.
Members of the Bomb Disposal Squad later examined the scene and gathered evidence from the damaged portion of the railway track.
According to railway officials, restoration work has started and could take up to ten hours to complete.
This marks yet another attack on the Jaffar Express. In June, a similar remote-controlled device detonated on the track near Jacobabad’s cattle market, causing the train to derail, though no casualties were reported.
Earlier, on March 11, the train was targeted in a major hijacking incident when militants of the proscribed Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) opened fire on the locomotive and took over 400 passengers hostage in Balochistan.
Security forces carried out a clearing operation, rescuing the hostages and killing 33 attackers. Before the operation began, 26 passengers were martyred by the militants, while four security personnel lost their lives during the mission.
Taking notice of the incident, Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah condemned the explosion and directed the Sindh Inspector General of Police (IGP) to present a comprehensive report on the incident.
He also directed the Larkana commissioner to ensure the best possible medical care for the injured and to provide timely assistance to the affected passengers through rescue teams.
Meanwhile, Sindh Home Minister Zia-ul-Hassan Lanjar has sought a detailed report on the incident from Shikarpur SSP Shahzaib Chachar.